Paul Grossman: Why I’m Running for Town Council

One of the most involved citizens in Cape Charles is running for Town Council. If you have spent time at Town Council or Northampton County School Board Meetings, you have probably run into Paul Grossmam. Mr. Grossman provided this statement to the Mirror.

My name is Paul Grossman and I am running for Town Council in Cape Charles. You may have seen me around town at council and various town board meetings or at Northampton school board meetings. Perhaps you have seen me enjoying a day of fishing at the pier or renovating the old barber shop behind town hall offices or watching the major renovations at my house at 506 Randolph. My wife, Barbara, and I purchased the house in 2012 and we have spent as much time in Cape Charles as possible since then. In May 2016, after retirement, we moved to Cape Charles full time.

My background is in the electric power industry, specifically nuclear power. I have a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree in nuclear engineering. I held the positions of nuclear licensing engineer, engineering director, project engineer and project manager. I worked primarily with architect- engineering firms building new plants as well as with the Virginia utility Dominion Energy where I was involved in the operation and modification of existing plants. During my career, I have had the opportunity to live in New York City, Florida, New Orleans, Knoxville, Connecticut and Richmond which has provided me with the ability to work with a broad range of people. I have managed groups as large as several hundred in size and have been involved in technical problem solving, financial budgeting and accountability, planning, dealing with legal issues, procurement, and aspects of personnel management such as hiring, evaluating, and disciplining.

After twenty-five years of work experience, I decided pursue a Master’s Degree in Organizational Psychology to better develop my management skills and further strength my technical and business acumen. Studying leadership, human resources and conflict management reinforced to me what was really important for any successful and sustaining enterprise, namely, dealing effectively with people as the most vital asset of any organization.

Barbara and I have been married for forty-three years and have three children. One of the reasons we settled in Cape Charles was the draw it would have for our five grandkids. We knew they would love the major attractions that Cape Charles has to offer; those attractions being the beach, the fishing pier, participating in parades, riding in Nana’s golf cart and the availability of pizza just around the corner.

After forty plus years of working and moving the family around the country, now is the time to settle down and give back to the community and the church. I have been involved with my church (Emmanuel Episcopal) since 2013 and Barbara and I have served in a variety of ways. I am currently the Junior Warden as well as Lay Eucharistic Minister. Now, however, is the appropriate time to step up and also give back to the community.

I consider myself a new face in this wonderfully historical town. There is a fine balance in creating a more vibrant community here while maintaining the reasons that this is an important historical place to live. The reality, though, is that Cape Charles is growing and is going to continue to grow. While exciting, this growth will create challenges. How is the town going to manage the growth? What will be the impact on our infrastructure? our beaches? What will be the impact on our town staff? Will the town require additional security? While these challenges may not require immediate attention, we need to be thinking and planning for the future. We need a council with the foresight to anticipate these challenges and have a plan in place to address them when they arise. This kind of planning requires a specific skill set. I have that skill set. My experience and technical knowledge as an engineer and project manager when combined with my knowledge of management and consensus building has positioned me well to meet the challenges that a future Cape Charles will surely encounter.

I look forward to working with our town staff, council and mayor. I look forward to representing you on Town Council and I welcome your thoughts, concerns and opinions. Please vote for me on May 1st. Thank you.